CVE-2023-53492 — netfilter: nf_tables: do not ignore genmask when looking up chain by id
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: nf_tables: do not ignore genmask when looking up chain by id When adding a rule to a chain referring to its ID, if that chain had been deleted on the same batch, the rule might end up referring to a deleted chain. This will lead to a WARNING like following: [ 33.098431] ------------[ cut here ]------------ [ 33.098678] WARNING: CPU: 5 PID: 69 at net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c:2037 nf_tables_chain_destroy+0x23d/0x260 [ 33.099217] Modules linked in: [ 33.099388] CPU: 5 PID: 69 Comm: kworker/5:1 Not tainted 6.4.0+ #409 [ 33.099726] Workqueue: events nf_tables_trans_destroy_work [ 33.100018] RIP: 0010:nf_tables_chain_destroy+0x23d/0x260 [ 33.100306] Code: 8b 7c 24 68 e8 64 9c ed fe 4c 89 e7 e8 5c 9c ed fe 48 83 c4 08 5b 41 5c 41 5d 41 5e 41 5f 5d 31 c0 89 c6 89 c7 c3 cc cc cc cc <0f> 0b 48 83 c4 08 5b 41 5c 41 5d 41 5e 41 5f 5d 31 c0 89 c6 89 c7 [ 33.101271] RSP: 0018:ffffc900004ffc48 EFLAGS: 00010202 [ 33.101546] RAX: 0000000000000001 RBX: ffff888006fc0a28 RCX: 0000000000000000 [ 33.101920] RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: 0000000000000000 RDI: 0000000000000000 [ 33.102649] RBP: ffffc900004ffc78 R08: 0000000000000000 R09: 0000000000000000 [ 33.103018] R10: 0000000000000000 R11: 0000000000000000 R12: ffff8880135ef500 [ 33.103385] R13: 0000000000000000 R14: dead000000000122 R15: ffff888006fc0a10 [ 33.103762] FS: 0000000000000000(0000) GS:ffff888024c80000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 [ 33.104184] CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 [ 33.104493] CR2: 00007fe863b56a50 CR3: 00000000124b0001 CR4: 0000000000770ee0 [ 33.104872] PKRU: 55555554 [ 33.104999] Call Trace: [ 33.105113] <TASK> [ 33.105214] ? show_regs+0x72/0x90 [ 33.105371] ? __warn+0xa5/0x210 [ 33.105520] ? nf_tables_chain_destroy+0x23d/0x260 [ 33.105732] ? report_bug+0x1f2/0x200 [ 33.105902] ? handle_bug+0x46/0x90 [ 33.106546] ? exc_invalid_op+0x19/0x50 [ 33.106762] ? asm_exc_invalid_op+0x1b/0x20 [ 33.106995] ? nf_tables_chain_destroy+0x23d/0x260 [ 33.107249] ? nf_tables_chain_destroy+0x30/0x260 [ 33.107506] nf_tables_trans_destroy_work+0x669/0x680 [ 33.107782] ? mark_held_locks+0x28/0xa0 [ 33.107996] ? __pfx_nf_tables_trans_destroy_work+0x10/0x10 [ 33.108294] ? _raw_spin_unlock_irq+0x28/0x70 [ 33.108538] process_one_work+0x68c/0xb70 [ 33.108755] ? lock_acquire+0x17f/0x420 [ 33.108977] ? __pfx_process_one_work+0x10/0x10 [ 33.109218] ? do_raw_spin_lock+0x128/0x1d0 [ 33.109435] ? _raw_spin_lock_irq+0x71/0x80 [ 33.109634] worker_thread+0x2bd/0x700 [ 33.109817] ? __pfx_worker_thread+0x10/0x10 [ 33.110254] kthread+0x18b/0x1d0 [ 33.110410] ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10 [ 33.110581] ret_from_fork+0x29/0x50 [ 33.110757] </TASK> [ 33.110866] irq event stamp: 1651 [ 33.111017] hardirqs last enabled at (1659): [<ffffffffa206a209>] __up_console_sem+0x79/0xa0 [ 33.111379] hardirqs last disabled at (1666): [<ffffffffa206a1ee>] __up_console_sem+0x5e/0xa0 [ 33.111740] softirqs last enabled at (1616): [<ffffffffa1f5d40e>] __irq_exit_rcu+0x9e/0xe0 [ 33.112094] softirqs last disabled at (1367): [<ffffffffa1f5d40e>] __irq_exit_rcu+0x9e/0xe0 [ 33.112453] ---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]--- This is due to the nft_chain_lookup_byid ignoring the genmask. After this change, adding the new rule will fail as it will not find the chain.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- EPSS 0.2% (30-day exploitation probability)+1
- Technical severity (high)+6
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Linux Linux, Linux Linux Kernel).
- Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
- Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | ≥ 837830a4b439bfeb86c70b0115c280377c84714b and < 4ae2e501331aaa506eaf760339bb2f43e5769395≥ 837830a4b439bfeb86c70b0115c280377c84714b and < 041e2ac88caef286b39064e83e825e3f53113d36≥ 837830a4b439bfeb86c70b0115c280377c84714b and < fc95c8b02c6160936f1f3d8d9d7f4f66f3c84b49≥ 837830a4b439bfeb86c70b0115c280377c84714b and < 5e5e967e8505fbdabfb6497367ec1b808cadc356≥ 837830a4b439bfeb86c70b0115c280377c84714b and < 515ad530795c118f012539ed76d02bacfd426d89version 5.9 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | ≥ 5.9 and < 5.10.188≥ 5.11 and < 5.15.121≥ 5.16 and < 6.1.39≥ 6.2 and < 6.4.4version 6.5-rc1 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 1.8 | 5.9 | 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 7.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 1.8 | 5.9 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 7.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | GitHub, Inc. via GitHub Security Advisories |
| 7.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | Linux via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov) Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Local/physical vector: focus on endpoint telemetry (EDR) from affected hosts.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · linux/linux
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- Fix documented
- Affected products added · linux/linux kernel
- CVSS changed · 7.8
- Source status changed · → Modified
- Record created in this database
- 2025
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 2× References added · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026
References
7 on the record
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/515ad530795c118f012539ed76d02bacfd426d89
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/041e2ac88caef286b39064e83e825e3f53113d36
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/fc95c8b02c6160936f1f3d8d9d7f4f66f3c84b49
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/4ae2e501331aaa506eaf760339bb2f43e5769395
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/5e5e967e8505fbdabfb6497367ec1b808cadc356
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-53492
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-rj62-f3v9-qqwj
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Critical CVE-2026-99999 ipv4: validate checksum_start before completing checksum 13h
- Unknown CVE-2026-98432 ipv4: free inet_opt and ireq_opt after an RCU grace period 13h
- Unknown CVE-2026-98431 RDMA/uverbs: Fix mmap_lock/disassociation_lock circular dependency 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98424 wifi: cfg80211: undo netns switch if renaming the wiphy fails 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98425 wifi: mac80211: don't warn when an IBSS has no channel to scan 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98426 wifi: mwifiex: fix IRQ leak using wrong index in MSI-X error path 1d
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No CWE classification.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2023-53492 is "netfilter: nf_tables: do not ignore genmask when looking up chain by id", rated High. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 7.8 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.17% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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